THIS ITEM CONTAINS RESTRICTED MATERIAL

This item is 8 series of slides documenting Pitjantjatjara culture as follows:

1. 'Seed Grinding' (AA 267/2/3/1/1-9)
   
   
2. 'House Building' (AA 267/2/3/2/1-14
   
   
3. 'Spear Making' (AA 267/2/3/3/1-39)
   
   
4. 'Kangaroo Cooking' (AA 267/2/3/4/1-17)
   
   
5. 'Implement Manufacture' (not yet donated)
   
   
6. 'Spinning' (AA 267/2/3/6/1-11)
   
   
7. 'Headband (Yakiri) Making' (AA 267/2/3/7/1-13)
   
   
8. 'Pubic-cover Making' (AA 267/2/3/7/1-13)
   
   

There is an additional group titled 'Transparencies - Various'

Documentation provided By Peter Rice for each series is as follows:

1. 'Seed Grinding' (AA 267/2/3/1/1-9)

1. 'Title.' (slide 1)
   
   
2. 'Where seed is plentiful, it is threshed into a large flat dish (Kanilpa P.). Sometimes the seed-bearing heads of the plants are removed and these are threshed by hand, as shown. A small dish (Piti) is ued on this occasion.' (slide 2)
   
   
3. 'The threshed residue is then placed in the large shallow kanilpa' (slide 3)
   
   
4. 'Small stalks and husks are then winnowed in the large dish to extract the seed.' (slide 4)
   
   
5. 'Seed placed on the large flat grinding stone (tjiwa) and the small hand stone (tjungari), ready for grinding' (slide 5)
   
   
6. 'Grinding the seed. The smaller stone is held on either side and pushed forward with a backward rocking action. After considerable grinding a hollow is worn in the large stone. This tends to hold the seed in place as the smaller stone passes over it.' (slide 6)
   
   
7. 'Grinding completed. The seedmeal lies in the hollow of the tjiwa. It will be brushed into the small dish (piti), mixed with water and cooked on hot coals.'
   
   
(slide 7)

Item 8 is a card reading 'SEED GRINDING END.' inserted into the slide sleeve.

Item 9 is the documentation.

2. 'House (Wiltja) Building' (AA 267/2/3/2/1-14)

• 'The builder.
  
  
• He clears the house site with his feet.
  
  
• The ends of the main framework uprights will be placed in foundation holes like this.
  
  
• Framework nearing completion.
  
  
• The framework is covered with large mats of spinifex (or 'porcupine grass'). This grass, which grows in large clumps has been used by the Pitjatjantjara [sic] for thousands of years for this purpose. It is suprisingly insular and showerproof. Average rainfall in this area is 6 inches per annum.'
  
  

3. 'Spearmaking' (AA 267/2/3/3/1-39)

• 'Tacoma sticks and wood working implement. The Tacoma tree is the principle source of spear wood in the area.
  
  
• Munjunji The spear-maker has lit a fire and is about to straighten the tacoma sticks using heat.
  
  
• Heating the sticks in the fire.
  
  
• Munjunji uses his hands and his foot to bend the hot spear wood.
  
  
• When the sticks have been straightened, the bark is stripped from them and any small knotches etc. are removed with the wood working implement which is shown resting on Munjunji's thighs.
  
  
• The shafts of the spear have been made ready and joined to a smaller spear head which has been shaped from a hard wood such as mulga or iron wood. The spear head is attached to the shaft with a resinous gum from the spinifex bush. The joint is then bound with the hind leg sinew of the kangaroo or euro.
  
  
• The spear has been completed, but it may not be used for hunting for several days during which time it continues to be cured in the sum or with the heat from camp fires.'
  
  

4. 'Kangaroo Cooking' (AA 267/2/3/4/1-17)

• 'The kangaroo is placed on its back and a small opening is made in the lower abdomen. The intenstines are removed through this small opening which is closed with a skewer stick before cooking.
  
  
• The kangaroo is then thrown on to a large fire to remove the hair from the carcass.
  
  
• The carcass is then buried in a shallow trench directly under the large fire after it has burnt down considerably. Cooking usually takes between half an hour and an hour, but depends largely on the hunger of the hunter.
  
  
• When the kangaroo is removed from the shallow trench, it is rubbed clean of ashes, cinders etc., before it is butchered.
  
  
• As the carcass is butchered, the pieces are placed on small boughs to keep them clean.'
  
  

6. 'Spinning' (AA 267/2/3/6/1-11)

• 'The Aboriginal woman has made a small wooden cross by slipping the short cross piece in the centre and placing the longer stick through the whole so formed. She has teased out the end of a bundle of wool fibre which she has collected from the fences of a sheep property.
  
  
• She has attached the end of the yarn to the crossed sticks and is shown spinning the cross by moving her hand over the long stick along her thigh.
  
  
• She has now completed spinning a quantity of yarn and wound it into a ball on the cross.
  
  
• The long stick is then removed from the cross. This permits also the removal of the cross stick leaving only the ball of yarn.
  
  
• The ball of yarn is then unwound and used for various purposes. If a thicker yarn is required, the tow threads are spun together by the same process.'
  
  

7 & 8. 'Pubic Cover and Headband' (AA 267/2/3/7/1-13)

• 'This Aboriginal man is wearing the only two items of clothing worn my male tribal members before Europeans provided other types of clothing. Both articles are manufactured from spun fibre.'
  
  

'TRANSPARENCIES - VARIOUS, Musgrave Park Area c1968, DAA Station. SA Government' (AA 267/2/3/8/1-22)

1. landscape slide titled 'START VARIOUS'
   
   
2. 'Corroboree stance - "Old man Kangaroo (Malu)".
   This item is restricted
   
   
3. Ceremonial area - "Place of the dog (Amaraltja)".
   This item is restricted
   
   
4. Desert scene.
   
   
5. Aboriginal children with crows.
   
   
6. Mail plane
   
   
7. Aboriginals attending a religious (Christian) service.
   
   
8. Aboriginals attending a religious (Christian) service.
   
   
9. Aboriginal house (wiltja) Musgrave/Mann Ranges.
   
   
10. Open air service with Aboriginal lay preacher.
    
    
11. Open air service with Aboriginal lay preacher.
    
    
12. Family groups
    
    
13. Family groups
    
    
14. Aboriginal men and tractor.
    
    
15. Desert flora - spinifex and mulga.
    
    
16. Simple prototype house for Aboriginals.
    
    
17. Desert flora
    
    
18. Ceremonial stones (Wallaby) damaged by tourists.
    This item is restricted
    
    
19. Road-in - and out of Musgrave Park Station
    
    
20. Killing stick, used principally for stunning kangaroos and euros after they have been speared (or shot).
    
    
21. Woomera (spearthrower).'
    
    

Additional notes have been provided by Peter Rice.

Prints and 35mm negative copies of some of the items are located in AA 267/2/2

Tindale Tribes: Pitjandjara.